Traditional television programming contains encoded channel information which is displayable on a television screen. Such information is most often contained in a so-called ‘banner’ that is displayed on a portion of the viewing screen whenever the user changes channels, or otherwise sends a command to the television or set top box (STB) requesting to view the channel information. This channel information includes at a minimum the numeric designation for the currently-selected television channel, and may also include network-specific information. Additional broadcast-related information may also be displayed in the banner along with the channel information. In analog television formats, such as NTSC, such additional information is encoded in the vertical blanking area (VBI). As television formats progress to all digital systems the VBI area is no longer utilized for carrying information. Digital systems enable information to be encoded in the picture frame user area as defined by MPEG standards.
However, visually impaired individuals who prefer to listen to television are unable to read such channel information when displayed. That is, while there are secondary audio program (SAP) receivers for providing so-called SAP audio over a separate channel, there is currently no convenient way for a visually impaired individual to ascertain the selected channel itself, following a channel change for example. As such, there is a need in the art for a system and method for audible channel announcement.